Chilton: It’s been an eternity since Malaysia

9 April 2013

F1 rookie Max Chilton admits that he cannot wait to get back behind the wheel of his Marussia MR02 this weekend, having had to endure a three-week break between grands prix since Sepang.

The Briton, who found his feet with finishes of 17th and 16th in the opening two rounds of the season, has spent his time preparing for another new circuit, Shanghai International, ahead of this week's trip to China, but concedes that not actually being on track for real has been painful.

“The break since Malaysia has been really beneficial on the one hand because it has given us the chance to reflect on the first two races and what we need to do to keep on making progress,” he noted, “On the other hand, off the back of the first two races of my F1 career, it has also felt a bit like an eternity and I can't wait to head to China now and get back to racing.

“I've never raced at the Shanghai International Circuit before, so I only have my experience of watching the races there in the past and my recent simulator work to go by, but it looks like a nice challenge with some interesting features.”

Marussia has made a strong start to the 2013 season, with team-mate Jules Bianchi leading the 'third division' battle ahead of Chilton and the Caterham pairing of Giedo van der Garde and Charles Pic. Chilton, meanwhile, has struggled in comparison with his team-mate, having had his races compromised by losing his front wing to van der Garde in Melbourne and making a poor start in Malaysia, but hopes that new parts for the MR02 will help the team stay in front – and begin to challenge the midfield – in Shanghai.

“We have a few updates to the car and, so far, the developments we have brought have worked well, so I'm sure we can keep moving in a positive direction,” he concluded.